Ryerson: Business Building (Zeidler)

[EnviroTO]

I like the upper levels of the building. I actually find the courtyard more nauseating due to the colour palate used. The irratic placement of windows and the two tone precast work well enough. Not as big a fan of the lower levels however since the lower levels are a little too plain. If the bottom had been larger more clear glass panels similar to the Opera House I think it would have looked better.

 

[adma]

Again, that brown aluminum siding may be but a de facto "party wall" to be ultimately added onto. Which means, watch for the future of the Eatons/Sears store...

 

[nassauone]

Cadillac Fairview are a bunch of idiots. I do not know how one could look at themselves in the mirror after making the call that real stone was too expensive so we'll go with spiky brown clading instead. I juat can't imagine saying to myself " good choice man. This bulding will be right."
:eek

On top of that LOOK at that roof top. Do you think they could move the HVAC any closer to the edge?

Hide that stuff. It is not cool in the least.

 

[SD2]

Very ugly.

 

[Greg29Toronto]

See, I believe the building looks better closeup, but on approach a block or two away, it really doesn't work. Hopefully if One City Hall phase 2 gets off the ground it'll redeem this corner.

I must say that the Atrium across the street has held up fairly nicely in the last 25 or so years

 

[adma]

On top of that LOOK at that roof top. Do you think they could move the HVAC any closer to the edge?

Hide that stuff. It is not cool in the least.

Though in the hi-tech 70s, *not* hiding it might have been considered cool.

Come to think of it, maybe RyBiz would have been better off had Zeidler revered to his let-it-all-hang-out 70s-tech vocabulary, a la McMaster, Ontario Place, and (of course) the original Eaton Centre...

 

[thenay]

awesome pic Archivistower, never seen a view of the new ryerson from that point

 

[papamanjr]

I think the corkboard cladding fits in just fine as a school theme. next, they're going to start pinning ads to the outside; should turn out to be a healthy source of revenue. it'll all work soon enough.

 

[JoeyCuppa]

I biked by this on Thursday, and it's better than I thought. I think I like it because it isn't like everything else being built, and adds a bit of variety to the streetscape, although it would've been nicer in stone, definitely.

And they should fill that courtyard and rooftop with trees. THAT would be interesting.

 

[Ed007Toronto]

I walked by today and they are still adding elements to the facade. Could still work.

 

[WhistlerinToronto]

I vomit a little every time I see this thing.

 

[adma]

Wow, what a "William Butterfield" reflex. High Victorian Gothic rools OK

 

[TdotTrickyRicky]

I think the architect blaming Cadillac Fairview's is a cop-out. I always like to point out that the primary importance of a building is the function, the objective of the space and the organization using that space. Issues like architectural aesthetics are of comparably small importance. I do however find this one almost comically hideous, although if you haven't seen it in person you should because it actually looks slightly better in person.

 

[scarberiankhatru]

No, it looks much worse in person...that way you get the full shock value of seeing it in the flesh for the first time.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Tdot:

I always like to point out that the primary importance of a building is the function, the objective of the space and the organization using that space. Issues like architectural aesthetics are of comparably small importance.

I disagree - both are equally important, considering that these buildings exist in the public realm and thus have "users" that are beyond the mere needs of the organizations in question.

AoD